The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-10-20
HAMPTON AT BENTONVlLLE,
4 GREAT ChROLINIAN SAVED
JOHNSTON FROM DESTRUCTION.

The Brilliant Coup by Which Mower w,
Bamed-Hampton and Butler ard The
Stats tho Last to Gross tho Bridrr--NIal,
Barker's uerolsIn.
TO the Editor OF the Nows and Courie,
The article written by General Ilumpto
on BentonYillo is another illustration {
that modesty which has so much c1
deared him to bis people. Tho Genera
has not given all the fncts in regard t.
that critical moment, when the army O
General j. e. johnston was ilupcr!le;
by the advance Of General Mower
division On the extreme left of t!o Con
tcdorato position. He has not AtAtcl
fully the part he bore in the ropulso O
that most serious stack. 1t is due tt
him and to the truth of history tla
those VINO were present should r:corC
their testimony as to tho facts bofor;
they become silent forever. "Honor t.
whom honor is due"
On the third day Of the battle EteneraI
Johnston's army was almost surrounded
by the legions Of Sherman. Tlo Co3-
tederate lines extended in tho form of q
horees shoe around BcntonviIle, tho
base being & Doggy creek or run, called
MIL Creek, over which there WIS but
one bridge, and that one near to the
village. The columns Of General Sher-
man were converging around tho right
and centre Of General Jot,nSt0M'r! works,
which wero rather crude and constructed
hastily. On our extreme left, ljear the
Village OF BcGtOnv'llr, the line Mns held
Dy skeleton Regiments Of disrnuunte9
cavalry, and your correspondents, then
III command Of tho lUJt C;2Oj;,!;t rcpi-
ment of 9oung'H brigade, Dutl.I's d.
vision, was near the cXtrCl4G uu,! Of the
Worku. iOunS's hriRnda WAS tll"u com.
manded 10y Colonel Wright, OF t;:v Cubi,
legion, which cOmrnand, with to jeff
DAVIS legion, tAe Phillips legion and thu
ioeh Georgia, constituted Yourg's
brigade.
When tho head Of Mowers division
ma 10 It's appearance, covered by :. clutd
at %. fHt'mls,icis, Il IL there W8 no l21 t. a
limo, and was moving towards !ho bridge
over Mil Greek, thus t!troWjMr H*&li
directly upon the line Of GcEc@;i John
stun'5 retreat aud his only way cut, be-
cauvo it would not have been pJ8.iDio
for General Johnston 80 hGvo GCE1Sht hin
WY out at that late date through tie
fast closing lines OF Gcueral i3h"}mau'B
army. General Hampton, wt) sCoUto
and courjers only, brought ili0 acton
i hAtfHry Of artl!lor' which Wa Lrur
N;2tojVIlle VILLAGE anf ordered trorcl
Wright to attack the flank OF -1Owcc's
..r'nmn with his diSmOuntuu uiCn. The
orier was promptly obeycd, nnG l niece
UnSUpd, IN which ihc commands ;,nt N.
tGrmixGd aud CnNu[ed almost ,.nd-tO
hand in . severe atruGG6". hai:rtS IL"
in cyorS direction, and the col ~ Di ia"
10th Georgia WGrC Shot down tAiCc IL
ten inmates. IL haB always hetn {"
wonder TO your Corresponds low
General Hampton escaped on tl1t Gy.y.
Whilst these troops were holly CIG&GVN
General Hnrdco'9 column came IN sight
and charged with TIE Rebel yell. Ihia
put stop TO tho advance OF t!4n2ral
Mower, and il g foW moments lis Whole
column was il full rctrent and our lines
re- established.
Tho naked truth is that but iur Gem
erel Hampton's prompt action, with in
adequate mc;tna, ~ it was, the charge
i 1
have resulted III tho occupation Ut Ben
4onViile by the Federal troop9, and to
dislodgo them would have required mUro
force than General uardeo had, Lis snail
command being all that was i'll reserve.
ANY conflict of serious nature in tEe
rear Of General Johnston's works would
have have demolished histroops, already
sore-pressed and under q heavy fire,
both Of small arms aud artillery. It
follows thut although General uarIcc
did drive back General Mower's division,
it would have been impossible, had il
not have been checked by General
hampton, with his dismountcd cavalry
and his scouts and COulicrs. Genera
Sherman may say that mo ordered Mower
back, but that column WAS tUrCui back
and did not wait for orders. The grUnnt
where the contest took place was Uttered
with dcaG and wounded Of both eidyp.
Had not General Hampton &ttauLct
the advancing column OF General Move
it would have had timo to correct Il!
alignment and cover the earthworkf
which they had passed, with sharp
ahoOters and artillery, 50 that Genera
Hardee would have found it dll1i1ul
task to dislOdgo him. 1t WIS the sud
denness of tho attack and the fact tina
it was made from both hanks ut cnc
which checked tho advancing troops
Just after tho line was reformed and tn
works reoccupied tho matter was TALKED
of by the officers present, and II va
then the general opinion that liNml Oh
ano not anyone else, had saved the :. NJ,
from being taken Ill reverse and dounlct
up On itself. 1t il true that the tina
disaster soon followed, but had tao Con,
fcderates ct EentOnvjllo been compete
to fight their way ont tho loss CT lif
must have been very greet, and oS:!Ol
unavAiliug @t last.
On the retreat stnud was mas &
SmjthVillG. Your correspondent Wa dt
tailcd to prepare the covered bGidH' {
that point for destruction. Yho jn'u'.t2
aud almost all the artillery pnfs~d vys
fcRt, whilst the cavalry WIS holdMl til
town. fitzpatrick, with ininntry sai
ports, and several light batteries, pr 80
forward with sanguiuo hopes ci ca;Iu
off the ConfederatCs, who were on IL
enst eide Of tho bridge, and ho Ia
actually reached t"o bnuka Of t2n g.,t
above and below the bridge before T.
Last Of the cavalry crossed. Bullets 7..I
aa>;inG tho air from both direction sc